Dharamsala April 15 -- The Chinese authorities in
Kardze paraded 15 Tibetan political prisoners in
the streets to intimidate the residents, Gelong,
a monk of Sera monastery in south India, told Phayul.

The incident took place on April 5 in Kardze
where Tibetans arrested earlier for protest
demonstrations and refusing to farm were paraded
in an army truck followed by armed security
forces in about 20 other vehicles. The Tibetan
prisoners had their heads shaven, their hands and
legs chained at the parade that is aimed to
frighten the Tibetans in the area, said Gelong.

The authorities announced through a loudspeaker
that anybody who protested the Chinese government
would face similar consequences.

Out of the fifteen, 3 have been identified as
Jampa Dhondup, aged 27; Taphel, 56; and Tsering Wangrap; 42.

In another incident, 5 monks of Tsitsang
monastery in Kardze have been arrested on April
1, according to the Trehor community based here.
Chinese security forces ransacked the monastery
and took away 5 monks on arbitrary charges, said
a press release of the Trehor community. One of
them has been identified as Sonam Nyima,
administrative member of the monastery.